Justify
by kiwi-messer
Summary: Does family honour justify his actions? I think not. Can anything justify the things he did? HermioneXRon HermioneXDraco Caution contians Torture and Domestic Violence. Rating to be on the safe side.


**a/n I got sick of reading fan fiction where Draco insert sigh here is in complete denial of his love for Hermione. So thought I'll write some fan fiction. Now I know this is AU and OOC and set during sixth year and totally ignore the existence of just about every book. My muse just has been really bugging me to write this. Also I was feeling stuck on "Love's Betrayal" so here it goes. And really this is the reworked version of something I wrote ages ago. **

**Also if you actually read this please review and say marshmallow. Just so I know. ****J**

**Disclaimer: Sock horror I own nothing. (Yes that's meant to be sock horror)**

**Warnings: Domestic Violence and clichés and child torture. **

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September 1st

Hermione stepped though the barrier to platform nine and three quarters. She loved returning to Hogwarts, just seeing the scarlet train gave her chills. She had spent the summer travelling the Pacific with her parents and was now feeling refreshed and ready for the new year. That is she was until she spotted a sleek blond head weaving its way though the crowds towards her. She grabbed her trunk and moved off in the opposite direction. Her summer just hadn't been the same since Malfoy's announcement to the entire school last year. The last day of term was fun, right up until Draco friggen Malfoy stood up and yelled to the school that he was in love with her. Well wasn't he shocked when she punched him, again, and ignored his existence. Sadly her two best friends thought it hilarious.

September 7th

She had successfully evaded Malfoy for the whole week despite his numerus owls asking her why she didn't write back over the summer, asking if they could meet, declaring his undying love for her and drabble like that. Damn the man was persistent. Must get it from his father.

October 21st

After a month and a half of leaving class early and avoiding the library, Hermione was sick of it. Over the past week the owls were dying out and she had seen Draco more and more with Pansy Parkinson. So after breakfast that morning Hermione braved the library. She had been sending Ron and Harry to pick up books for her so it felt good to be back.

She sat down and began to read, she got about half way though the third page when she heard it. A tiny discreet cough. Looking up her eyes meet the distinctive grey ones of Draco Malfoy.

"You've been avoiding me, Hermione." he said huskily.

"Well duh" she thought. "Really have I? I didn't notice." She said as sweetly as she could muster. She smiled up at him.

"I've owled you. I tried talking to you in the corridors between class. Dang I even waited outside the prefects bathroom for a week." Draco said, just as sweetly. "How could you have missed me?"

"I prefer to use the normal bathroom and haven't had a readable letter all term. Shockingly my mail keeps arriving wet and unreadable." She said while thinking; "What a stalker!"

Draco looked at her, his eyes narrowing. He knew she was lying, if he didn't the fact she was bright red in the face should have been a dead give away. "What does he have that I don't" he asked forgoing all the play and cutting to the chase.

Hermione looked at him and said. "Ron is nicer, more safe and less likely to call me a mud blood. Oh and he has a heart." With that she grabbed her bag and stormed off.

October 22nd

Hermione awoke to hysterical screaming from a group of third year students. She had fallen asleep in front of the now cold fire, finishing her muggle studies homework. The excited girls were tittering way too early for this early in the morning.

"Oh my Merlin. Our first ball. Oooooooo"

Hermione got up slowly and painfully ready to yell at the inconsiderate girls when she saw it. A notice informing all those in years 3-7 about the Halloween Ball. She stood there dumbfounded. Ron and Harry came thumping down the stairs and greeted her. Harry with a hug and Ron with a kiss.

Downstairs at breakfast Hermione fiddled with her eggs not really hungry for anything beyond her potions book which sat open in front of her. Harry and Ron were involved in some intense looking discussion about the Cannon's chances this year. In involved a lot of fork waving and some flying kippers.

Draco sat on the other side of the hall watching his watch and slowly counting down to the moment all chaos broke lose in the Great Hall.

Hermione's reading was disturbed by the arrival of the mail. Not expecting anything she kept reading until a large eagle owl swept her book away and dropped a package there instead. Hermione looked at the plain brown paper package, reluctant to open it. Ron wasn't so hesitant though.

"What is it 'mione?" Who sent this?" He pulled the wrapping paper off. Only to jump back off his chair as a large card burst out singing at the top of it's voice.

"You are so beautiful, to me  
you are so beautiful, to me  
can't you see  
you're everything I hope for  
you're everything I need, baby  
you are so beautiful to me.

you are so wonderful, to me yea  
you are so wonderful to me  
can't you see  
you're everything I hope for  
you're everything I need yea  
you are so wonderful baby, baby to me."

As the song drew to a close the card squeaked out; "Come to the ball with me Hermione". It folded itself up and disappeared.

"Whoa. Someone has a crush on my girlfriend. Should I be flattered?" Ron grinned at Harry while putting a possessive arm around Hermione. Hermione felt him squeeze and knew she would feel the after effects of this card.

Malfoy smiled at Hermione though out the song, but she never looked once at him. He then watched as that boy put his arm around Hermione. He instantly regretted what he'd done know that Weasley would now make Hermione suffer for having an admirer. He knew Ron beat Hermione, he'd seen it after his outburst by the lake last year.

October 31st

Malfoy hadn't sent another card or letter not wanting Hermione to get another beating, he'd already seen her limping and moving slowly twice since the card, but tonight was the ball and he was determined to get Hermione away from her boyfriend, even only for a minute. He fully intended to tell her that she was worth more than the beatings and that Ron wasn't as nice as she had described him.

He had been waiting outside the doors to the Great Hall with Parkinson when they came down the stairs. He saw straight though her concealing charms. The dress was low cut and sleeveless showing off the many bruises that adorned her arms and chest. He was the only one who could see them which seemed to make it worse. Her blue dress and pale skin made every bruise seem a hundred times worse.

Hermione had seen Draco as she came down the stairs, she had also seen his glare at her bruises and then murderous stare at Ron. She sighed. He really didn't give up, did he?

She swept past him on Ron's arm. Not even looking, his little card had cost her a sever beating and if he could she though the concealment charms, well his fault. She knew Ron didn't beat her because he hated her it was his way of releasing his guilt about the war. If she was a good girlfriend she'd take it quietly and accept it. What she felt for Draco had to stay hidden Ron needed her. She looked at her boyfriend chatting away to Harry. He needed her, he said it himself.

Dumbledore stood up to welcome his students. The golden trio sat in one corner. He shook his head. Could such a talented witch be oblivious to Mr Weasley's actions? He beat her and cheated on her with other witches. She refused to see it. He sighed. Everyone had their own ways of coping but why couldn't Hermione see it? Ron's guilt was because of his actions half way though the war. He paused, letting that memory wash over him.

-----Flashback-----

Dumbledore was sitting at the scrubbed wooden table in the dingy kitchen of the Order's headquarters. Molly placed a bowl of soup in front of him. The strain of the war evident in her face.

"Eat up before it gets cold, Albus."

"That I will Molly. But first I need a word. Sit down." Molly obediently sat wondering what was going on. "Well with Mr Malfoy's conversion to our side it seems you son is well missing in action. We believe that after the death of your husband and with Voldemort being strong right now, Ron has joined him. He has been sighted at the camp Volemort is using to train his child warriors, as an instructor. This was not a mission from me." Molly fainted.

----End Flashback----

Ron had returned the following week saying he was on a mission. Dumbledore had questioned the boy and it seemed he was on the run from the death eaters after being unable to kill a child, he had tortured. The child had died in agony.

Now here he was. Sitting next to the man that had killed Volemort with the witch that had been the "power the dark lord knows not" laughing and joking while the man who turned his back on his family for the love of that witch sat lonely in the corner. Well this wasn't on. He summoned Draco and gave instructions. Hermione deserved better than a child killer. She single handily turned the tide of the war, for fricking sake!!

Hermione was bored. She could see Draco talking to Dumbledore and for a fleeting instant wished it was her with her ear so close to Draco's mouth. But here she was with Ron. Oh, Dumbledore was standing up. She shushed Ron and Harry and faced her Headmaster.

"Now before I open this ball it seems a tiny matter has come to my attention. There is a lucky witch out there with not one but two admirers and it seem that one is not as holy as he makes out so…. To deicide which one of these boys get to court our confused witch. I propose the Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy come up here and both try to win our Miss Granger's heart though song. Now listen carefully, Mr Malfoy seems….. Concerned about Miss Granger's safety as do I. Thus the winning man will receive rooms away from the common rooms. With Miss Granger of course but be warned. If either man raises a hand to her they will be forcefully removed from the rooms and unable to come within 100 ft of her. Okay? Now Accio Miss Granger. Deconcelemente."

With one swept of his wand Dumbledore summoned Hermione and removed her concealment charm. There was a shocked silence at the bruises covering Hermione's torso and arms. "_How could he expose me like this_?" Hermione thought bitterly.

"It's for your own good." Dumbledore said to her. "Now first Mr Weasley if you would….." Ron stood up and looked at Hermione but he was drowned out by the boo's coming from the surrounding hall. He sat down again.

Draco stood up and started singing. He actually had a good voice. Shockingly.

"Hey girl you know you drive me crazy  
one look puts the rhythm in my hand.  
Still I'll never understand why you hang around  
I see what's going down.

Cover up with make up in the mirror  
tell yourself it's never gonna happen again  
you cry alone and then he swears he loves you.

Do you feel like a man  
when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect  
every action in this world will bear a consequence  
If you wade around forever you will surely drown  
I see what's going down.

I see the way you go and say your right again,  
say your right again  
heed my lecture

Do you feel like a man  
when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
as your lies crumble down a new life she has.

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough..

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough..

One day she will tell you that she has had enough  
its coming round again.

Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has.

Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has." 

"Hermione I want you to know something. I turned my back on my family, on everything I grew up with, during the early days of the war. I did it for you. I love you and I couldn't stay on the wrong side because I couldn't protect you and now I can't protect you. I have to tell you the truth. Ron was a death eater. He tortured a young girl but couldn't kill her. She died, Hermione, she died in agony because of what he did to her." he stopped seeing her stunned face. She turned to the table where she had been sitting. Ron sat there with a look of pure hatered on his face. Hermione swallowed and asked quietly, "Is this true Ron? Why?" she broke into sobs. "Why? Why Ron? Why? What did that child ever do to you?"

Ron snarled at her. "I joined the side that was winning. Did you honestly think I could get some family honour if every member was on the side that should have lost? Please. My dad and Percy and Ginny were already dead. I joined the death eaters but I came back so it doesn't count just like this meaningless contest. Now come Hermione you earn two hours for this." He held out his hand at her as if expecting her to meekly follow him.

"I don't think so Ron. I don't date child murderers and anyway if you think I'm going to put up with it any more your mistaken. Didn't you see how much I cared about Draco during the war? How much I loved him? I stayed with you out of pity. And now I'm free. FREEEEEEE!"

While screaming this last free, she leapt of the stage at Draco, who caught her- just. Ron stood up and screamed at her. "If you leave with him you'll regret it!!! I'll never talk to you again!!!"

She smiled. "That's what I'm counting on"

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**I had to put Ron as a death eater it just seemed so right. Well until next time oh and don't bother reviewing if you wanna flame me! Nice reviews only please. Flames will make me angry!!! I'm not pretty when I'm angry.**


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